Take a detour around fear
4 days into the year I am a bit skittish about whether this year will be the one where I actually complete the resolutions I promised myself would be done way before the end of last year.
Most of my resolutions from last year are incomplete even though I set flight to them on Dec. 31 on small pieces of tissue paper sending them to the gods asking for assistance. To be fair to myself, I did move the meter on some intentions while I fell back, way back, on others.
And I am sure that fear played a large role in last year’s good intentions turning to unrealized dreams.
Fear is a small 4 letter word to describe a complicated host of excuses: not enough time in my day, too tired, I don’t have the right technology, the kitchens a mess, I’ll be laughed at, my son needs breakfast, the dog a walk, I need more money, there is too much snow on the ground and on and on.
“Evil,” said Franz Kafka, “is whatever distracts.”
Knowing what scares you is important. But a faceoff with your fears can mean engaging in a dialogue with a formidable foe conspiring to send you back to the couch to watch another episode of, well you choose, because that might be all you’ll have control of once that conversation starts.
I don’t endorse ignoring why you have fears, but I do believe that a good deal of the time it’s best to just take a detour around them and keep moving forward.
Carrie Fisher, who left this world far too early, cut to the chase by stating: “Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.”
Let the fear be there. When your thoughts of distraction begin, let them sit in the periphery of your vision. Acknowledge their presence without ceding control, and continue taking the action you planned. Think of the fear as something you’ll address when you get back from taking the action. By then, you’ll have outwitted it.
Waiting until you feel enthusiasm or confidence or excitement might just be, if you sneak a peek behind the curtain, yet another clever distraction.
I am really good at seeing the big picture and all the parts that make up the sophisticated and complicated whole. This can be helpful in my work serving others but in my own life it can serve to make me ponder things too much for too long.
Taking action is what changes you. If you desire something keep it in view but focus on the action step you will take and let that lead the way.
Confidence is a noun. Act is a verb. Which one do you want to invest in?
Make this year one of action. Let the outcome take care of itself. You are likely to be very pleased with the result.
If you are unsure about what action to take, call me. I’d love to help you with the insight and clarity to know what to choose.
May your year be something wonderful!
With love,
Shawna